The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1887-12-22
BOB BURDETTE.
A HUMORISr WITH A LOVE-
STORY.

Some Interesting Incidents In the Life
of the Man who Writes Sunshine and
Whose Very Life is Song of Glad
ness.
Bob Burdette first became known
to the country over as the humorist of
the Burlington HDaokeye. He is the
most successful of our funny men. His
books command an incre asing sale,
and his little sketches command the
best prices from the magazines. In
addition he has $3.50 to $3.50 night
whenever he wants to make a lectur-
ing tour of one or twenty weeks. His
humor is DELICATE, true and abundant,
and he as an honor to the lighter
American letters because of his liter
airy achievement.
But better and more honorable
than all this is the story Of his hearth
stone. When he was young man
of 26 ne was engaged to Miss Carrie
Garret, CT Peoria, Ill. She was a
trail and delicate girl, and one even
ing Burdette was summoned to her
bedside with the message that she was
dying. Little hope was entertained
for her life when he reached her. 1t
was determined at the wish of both he
and she, that they should be married
even if death should at once claim the
bride. The ceremony took place in
15 minutes, the little lady being able
to respond only by motion of the
eyes and gentle pressure of the hand.
In pite Of the doctors predictions she
i "a o,.J roc GpoiI,- ,rall o,ourb r.,
move to the quiet and cossey home her
husband had provided for her.
But she has been an invalid all her
life. More than once her life has been
despaired OF. Usually she has been
confined to her room and unable to
walk One night at theatre in the
| city Of Philadeiphia, the writer saw a
| pale 2earoest man making his way to q
private box, with delicate elinging
woman IL his arms Her girlish face
was full Of :. pathos that passes de
scriptiou, bnt was wonderfully pretty.
And strangely happy, too-filled with
content Every body made way for
the little lady, and her great, tender
eyes seemed to send thanks to every
gentleman who moved aside in cour-
tesy. 1t was Bob Burdette and his
invalid wife. This is an index of his
life. The temptations Of the void, the
dazzle and glitter of the society he was
welcomed in-the converse with bril-
liant men, the club, the theatre, wealth
and fame-all and either Of them fail
ed to win his heart away from the lit
tie woman who sat at his fireside and
lived on his love and sympathy.
Nor was there lacking a practical
reward of this devotion. Mrs. Burdette
has cen the inspiration of her hus-
bands life-at once his spur and his
counsellor. She first discovered the
rich quality and the spontaneity OF
Bob's humor and the homely flavor
that would carry to the heart as well
as the intelligence of the public. I'm
agine the humorist reading the most
laughable stories at the bedside of his
invalid wife, He tells himself of how
she forced him to write his first lecture
in these words: "One day when she
was lying helpless, she said she believ
ed that l could write lecture and de
liver it successfully, and 80 she sat me
down to write that lecture, and from
time to time I rebelled with tears anc
groans and prayers. I said / was toe
little, that had no voice, and that
couldn't write lecture anyhow. She
kept me at it, and in due time we hac
lecture on our hands, The Rise anc
Fall of the Moustache' This was al
right enough. But now how to get al
audience. thought would try it a
Keokuk. If I delivered it first in Bur
lingtoD, even though it were tame
tanner, tamest, | thought they nigh
put me on the book. But Keokul
hated Burlington, and | knew if i
was fiat the Keokuk people would say
so. Mrs. Burdette said as she was re
sponsible for that lecture, she was go
ing to hear it delivered. So | carries
her aboard the cars. We went t
Keokuk and the people pronounce
it good
From that day he has prospere
wherever his little figure has bee
seen.-AtLanta Constitution.